^ tilt  Iheologira; 

PRINCETON,  N.  J.  ^ 


PRESENTED  BY 

THE  PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 


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in  2016 


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HEATHEN  SACKIFICES, 

y 

THE  HINDOO  GIRL, 


AND 

v/ 

LITTLE  GEOEGE. 


PHILADELPHIA : 

PRESBYTERIAN  BOARD  OF  PUBLICATION 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


Over  the  great  sea  missionaries  go  in  ships 
to  the  great  country  called  India.  It  is  a 
long,  long  way  off,  and  though  the  ships  keep 
on  going  night  and  day,  it  takes  them  many 
months  to  get  there.  Though  it  is  many 
times  larger  than  England,  almost  all  that 
great  country  now  belongs  to  England.  It 
seems  a very  strange  thing  that  such  a small 
island,  so  far  away,  should  be  able  to  take 
and  keep  so  large  a country  as  India.  Many 
think  God  ordered  it  so,  that  Christians  might 
send  the  gospel  thither. 

Most  of  the  people  in  India  are  called 
Hindoos.  Their  skins  are  not  black,  like 
those  of  the  Africans,  only  very  dark.  They 
do  not  wear  many  clothes.  They  do  not  like 
work,  and  most  of  them  are  thieves  and  liars  ; 

(3) 


4 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


no  one  can  believe  any  thing  they  say.  It  is 
said  that  they  are  naturally  mild  and  gentle, 
but  their  heathen  worship  teaches  them  to  be 
very  cruel. 

India  is  so  large  that  English  people  have 
not  been  all  over  it  yet.  In  the  north  of  In- 
dia there  are  some  high  and  beautiful  moun- 
tains. It  is  not  hot  upon  them  as  in  the 
scorching  plains  below,  but  cool  and  plea- 
sant ; and  the  grass  and  the  trees  grow  there 
as  green  and  fresh  as  in  England.  A few 
years  ago  the  English  found  some  people 
living  there,  called  Hill  Coolies.  They  were 
not  like  the  Hindoos,  for  they  were  brave 
and  strong.  They  would  be  noble  people 
if  they  were  to  become  Christians;  but  alas! 
they  are  cruel,  cruel  heathens. 

As  an  English  gentleman  was  travelling 
through  their  country,  he  saw  a great  many 
of  these  people  in  one  place,  and  he  went  in 
among  them  to  see  what  they  were  about 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


5 


It  was  a sad  sight  that  met  his  eyes.  There 
were  three  little  girls  tied  by  cords  to  three 
trees.  One  of  these  poor  little  girls  was  dead; 
a man  had  stabbed  her  with  a knife,  and  then 
he  had  caught  her  warm  blood  in  a vessel, 
and  had  run  to  sprinkle  it  upon  the  fields. 
The  poor  ignorant  people  had  been  taught 
that  their  gods  would  not  be  pleased  unless 
they  did  this,  and  that  their  rice,  wheat,  and 
tobaeco  would  not  grow  without  it.  While 
the  gentleman  stood  looking  and  feeling  sor- 
rowful about  the  poor  little  girl  who  was 
dead,  the  man  came  back  with  his  bloody 
knife  and  vessel,  to  take  the  blood  of  the 
second  little  girl,  and  then  to  take  that  of  the 
third.  But  the  English  gentleman  would  not 
let  him  do  so.  He  set  the  two  poor  little 
girls  free,  took  them  under  his  care,  and  sent 
them  to  Calcutta.  A missionary  from  Ber- 
hampore,  before  he  went  on  board  the  ship 
which  brought  him  to  England,  in  1838,  was 
1* 


6 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


singing  Hallelujah  with  these  two  dear  little 
girls,  and  many  other  orphans  under  the  kind 
care  of  Mrs.  Wilson.  Eighty  other  persons 
were  saved  from  the  same  bloody  death,  but 
many  more  must  have  been  sacrificed. 

“ And  was  this  what  the  picture  was 
about?”  perhaps  some  little  reader  will  say. 
Let  us  turn  back  and  look.  “ There  is  a man 
with  a knife,  who  seems  to  be  a priest,  but 
he  is  not  dressed  like  the  people  in  India — 
and  there  is  a youth  bound  to  a tree,  but  his 
face  is  white  like  that  of  an  English  boy — 
and  there  are  soldiers  behind,  but  they  are 
not  armed  as  our  soldiers  are,  or  any  that  we 
have  ever  seen.  This  cannot  be  a picture  of 
the  sacrifices  in  India.”  No,  dear  children, 
it  is  a picture  of  what  used  to  happen  in 
England  many  hundred  years  ago.  Those 
priests  are  Druids ; the  men  behind  are  Ro- 
man soldiers ; and  the  poor  youth  is  going  to 
be  sacrificed  to  the  idol  gods  of  Britain.  In 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


7 


some  parts  of  England  the  remains  of  Druidi- 
cal  temples  are  still  to  be  seen.  There  is  one 
on  Dartmoor,  and  there  is  a basin  cut  in  the 
rock  which  is  supposed  to  have  been  used  to 
receive  the  blood  of  the  children  who  were 
sacrificed.  If  missionaries  had  not  gone  and 
carried  the  gospel  to  them,  the  same  things 
might  have  been  happening  still ; and  many 
a happy  and  cherished  child,  who  is  now  en- 
joying all  the  benefits  of  Christian  education, 
might,  like  the  children  of  India,  have  been 
offered  in  sacrifice  to  those  cruel  idols. 

Augustine,  with  forty  other  missionaries 
from  Rome,  brought  Christianity  to  Britain, 
in  the  year  597.  But  though  British  Chris- 
tians have  had  the  gospel  more  than  twelve 
hundred  and  forty  years,  it  has  only  been  for 
about  the  last  fifty,  that  they  have  begun  to 
send  it  to  other  nations,  and  all  that  they  are 
doing  now  is  very,  very  little. 

Christians  in  America  have  but  just  en- 


8 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


tered  on  the  work  of  sending  the  gospel  to 
the  perishing  heathen. — How  sad  it  is  that 
we  have  not  begun  sooner,  and  done  more  to 
try  to  save  the  poor  children  of  other  coun- 
tries from  so  cruel  a death ! How  sad  that 
so  many  hundred  years  should  have  gone  by, 
so  many  millions  have  died,  without  being 
made  happy  ! We  cannot  fetch  them  back; 
but,  oh  ! let  us  all  make  haste,  and  try  to  do 
what  we  can  for  those  who  are  still  living. 
Let  us  send  many  missionaries  to  tell  them 
that  they  need  not  offer  any  more  sacrifices, 
since  God  gave  his  own  dear  Son  to  die  once 
for  all.  Let  us  make  known  to  them  the  love 
that  was  in  the  heart  of  Jesus,  and  that  will 
soften  theirs. 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


9 


Part  op  a Letter  from  Vizagapatam, 
Dated,  February,  1841. 

Mt  dear  Young  Friends, — Some  time 
ago  a lady,  who  is  very  much  interested  in 
your  welfare,  asked  me  to  write  something 
for  you  ; and  as  I am  just  now  quite  alone, 
and  as  my  small  family  of  three  white  chil- 
dren, and  my  large  family  of  sixty-two  black 
children,  are  all  asleep,  I shall  with  great 
pleasure  spend  a little  time  in  writing  to  you. 

Last  night,  as  I was  talking  and  reading 
to  some  of  my  poor  orphan  children,  I was 
much  struck  with  this  text  in  Romans  xii.  1, 
“ I beseech  you,  therefore,  brethren,  by  the 
mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your  bodies 
a living  sacrifice,  holy,  acceptable  unto  God, 
which  is  your  reasonable  service.”  Now 
you  do  not  see  so  much  of  sacrifice  as  these 
poor  children  do,  but  you  will  understand 
what  is  meant  by  it.  There  are  thousands 


10 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


of  people  in  this  country  who  are  constantly 
taking  sacrifices  to  the  false  gods  which  they 
worship.  Sometimes  they  offer  them  to  a 
block  of  wood  ; at  other  times  to  an  ugly 
brass  figure : and  once  a year  all  are  anxious 
to  take  a sacrifice  to  snakes.  But,  perhaps, 
you  will  say,  “ Well,  but  they  do  not  present 
their  bodies  a living  sacrifice.”  No,  they 
do  not,  but  some  do.  In  a letter  which  I re- 
ceived four  days  ago,  from  a gentleman  about 
a hundred  and  fifty  miles  fi  om  here,  he  says, 
“ There  are  at  this  time  three  hundred  hu- 
man beings  bound  ready  for  sacrifice,  twenty- 
five  of  whom  are  to  be  sacrificed  the  day  af- 
ter to-morrow.  Their  blood  is  to  be  sprinkled 
upon  the  fields,  that  the  goddess  may  not  be 
angry,  but  may  let  the  corn  grow.”  It  would 
be  too  shocking  a tale  to  tell  how.it  is  done, 
so  that  I shall  leave.  Many  of  these  poor 
people  offer  their  children. — And  now  I must 
tell  you  of  one  poor  little  boy  who  was  found 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


11 


by  a kind  Christian  gentleman,  and  delivered 
from  his  captivity,  and  sent  to  a missionary’s 
house  to  be  taught  and  taken  care  of.  One 
day  this  little  boy  was  missing,  and  some  one 
was  sent  to  look  after  him.  He  was  found 
on  the  road  to  the  place  of  his  former  cap- 
tivity. On  being  asked  where  he  was  going, 
he  said,  “ I am  going  back  to  Goom  Soor.” 
“ But,”  it  was  said,  “ do  you  not  think  that 
you  will  be  sacrificed  ?”  “ Oh,  yes,”  he  said, 
“ I know  that,  and  so  I must  be.  It  is  right 
I should,  for  I have  eaten  the  food  which  was 
to  prepare  me  for  sacrifice,  and  so  how  can  I 
keep  back  ?”  However,  he  was  taken  back, 
and  some  time  after  he  died  of  cholera.  Now, 
my  dear  children,  if  this  heathen  boy  was  so 
willing  to  be  sacrificed,  what  can  I say  to  you 
who  are  so  unwilling  to  give  yourselves  to 
the  living  and  true  God,  not  to  be  made  cap- 
tives, but  free  in  Christ  Jesus : not  to  be  de- 
stroyed, but  to  be  saved ; not  to  have  your 


12 


HEATHEN  SACRIFICES. 


blood  spilt,  but  to  be  sprinkled  with  the  blood 
of  Jesus,  who  once  offered  himself  a sacrifice 
for  you?  When  will  you  bring  your  hearts 
as  an  offering  to  this  dear  Saviour  ? 

Your  sincere  friend  in  the  East, 

A Missionary’s  Wife. 


HINDOO  O 11  I*  n A N GIRL  S. 


' ' ' .'  ^ji'  1 • ■ 

♦o 

«*  ' « ■ 

• •■^'  • : •<• 

• »'»  ' i • 0 

vV' . .f  * '. 

y i<- 

I 

f 

i! 

} 


THE 


HINDOO  GIRL  SEEKING  JESUS. 

The  heathen  worship  gods  without  num- 
ber, the  work  of  men’s  hands.  Many  and 
various  are  their  ways  of  worshipping,  but 
all  wicked  and  foolish,  false  and  cruel. 

The  Jews  worship  one  God,  and  read  the 
law  of  Moses ; but  they  do  not  believe  in 
Jesus. 

There  is  one  other  false  religion.  Those 
who  are  of  this  religion  are  neither  Christ- 
ians, nor  heathens,  nor  Jews.  And  yet  they 
copy  some  things  from,  each : they  are  the 
followers  of  the  false  prophet  Mahomet,  or 
Mohammed.  This  man  began  to  be  known 
about  606  years  after  the  birth  of  Christ.  He 
pretended  to  be  greater  than  Jesus  Christ,  and 

(13) 


14 


THE  HINDOO  GIRL 


that  he  could  secure  endless  happiness  for 
those  who  obeyed  him.  The  faith  of  his  fol- 
lowers was  summed  up  in  these  words, 
“ There  is  but  one  God,  and  Mohammed  is 
his  prophet.”  He  wrote  a book  called  the 
Koran,  for  his  followers  to  use  as  their  Bible, 
and  he  pretended  that  the  angel  Gabriel 
brought  it  down  to  him  from  heaven.  I can- 
not stay  to  tell  you  all  the  foolish  things  and 
wicked  falsehoods  of  this  book.  The  religion 
of  IMohammed  spread  very  widely,  and 
reached  India,  and  there  are  many  Moham- 
medans in  India  now. 

You,  dear  children,  have  been  shown  the 
right  way.  You  have  been  taught  that  Jesus 
is  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life.  I am 
going  to  tell  you  of  a little  girl  who  had  no 
one  to  show  her,  and  had  to  try  for  herself. 
She  tried  the  religion  of  Mohammed : she 
tried  the  worship  of  idols  ; she  tried  the  faith 
of  Jesus ; she  tried  all,  and  then  she  made 


SEEKING  JESUS. 


15 


her  choice.  But  you  shall  hear  her  whole 
history. 

This  little  Hindoo  girl  was  one  summer’s 
afternoon  playing  before  the  door  of  her 
father’s  bungalow,  when  she  was  carried  off, 
taken  to  Calcutta,  and  sold  as  a slave.  She 
was  a sweet  and  beautiful  little  girl,  and  the 
lady  who  bought  her  soon  began  to  love  her 
very  much,  and  she  thought  that  she  would 
not  make  her  a slave.  She  had  no  children 
of  her  own,  and  she  liked  to  have  the  little 
girl  to  play  with  her,  and  amuse  her.  She 
loved  her  more  and  more,  and  as  she  grew 
older,  she  made  her  her  companion.  When 
this  little  girl  was  stolen  from  her  father,  she 
was  too  young  to  have  learned  his  religion. 
The  lady  who  bought  her  was  a Moham- 
medan, and  she  brought  the  little  girl  up  as  a 
Mohammedan  too.  Thus  she  lived  till  she 
was  sixteen  years  old,  and  then  all  at  once  it 
came  into  her  mind,  she  knew  not  how,  or 


16 


THE  HINDOO  GIRL 


why,  that  she  was  a sinner,  and  needed  sal- 
vation. She  was  in  great  distress  of  mind, 
and  went  to  her  kind  mistress  for  comfort ; 
but  she  could  not  tell  her  of  a Saviour.  All 
the  lady  could  do  was  to  try  to  amuse  her, 
and  make  her  forget  her  trouble.  She  hired 
rope-dancers,  jugglers,  serpent-charmers,  and 
tried  all  the  sports  of  which  the  natives  of 
India  are  fond,  to  give  her  pleasure : these 
were  of  no  use,  and  the  little  girl  remained 
as  miserable  as  ever.  Her  mistress,  deeply 
grieved  at  the  distress  of  one  whom  she  loved 
so  dearly,  next  sent  for  a Mohammedan  priest. 
The  priest  was  quite  puzzled.  He  had  never 
felt  the  want  of  a Saviour,  and  he  could  not 
understand  the  girl’s  distress.  However,  he 
took  her  under  his  care,  and  did  his  best.  He 
taught  her  a long  string  of  prayers  in  Arabic, 
a language  which  she  did  not  understand. 
She  learned  the  long  hard  words  which  had 
no  meaning  to  her,  and  she  repeated  them 


SEEKING  JESUS. 


17 


five  times  a day,  and  each  time  she  repeated 
them  she  turned  towards  Mecca,  in  the  east, 
the  birth-place  of  Mohammed,  and  bowed 
her  face  to  the  ground. 

Did  the  poor  girl  find  comfort  in  these  dark 
words  and  idle  ceremonies  ? No — she  felt 
that  there  was  no  forgiveness,  no  salvation  in' 
these.  When  she  had  tried  these  prayers  for 
three  long  years,  the  thought  struck  her,  that 
perhaps  all  this  sorrow  of  mind  was  a punish- 
ment for  having  left  the  faith  of  her  fathers, 
and  become  a Mohammedan.  She  set  out 
directly  in  search  of  a Brahmin  or  Hindoo 
priest,  and  entreated  him  to  receive  her  back 
into  the  Hindoo  faith.  How  do  you  think 
the  Brahmin  answered  her?  He  cursed  her 
in  the  name  of  his  god.  She  told  him  how 
unhappy  she  was,  and  how  long  she  had  suf- 
fered, and  begged  him  to  pity  her ; but  he 
would  not  listen.  She  offered  him  a large 
sum  of  money,  and  then  he  was  ready  to  do 
2* 


18 


THE  HINDOO  GIRL 


any  thing;  so  she  put  herself  under  his  direc- 
tion, and  went  again  and  again.  He  told  her 
to  take  an  offering  of  flowers  and  fruit,  morn- 
ing and  evening  to  a certain  goddess,  who 
was  some  way  off,  and  once  a week  to  offer 
a kid  as  a bloody  sacrifice. 

In  India  the  people  have  a language  of 
flowers:  each  flower  means  something;  and 
when  you  go  into  a temple,  and  see  the 
flowers  which  have  been  laid  on  the  altar, 
you  may  often  tell  what  petitions  have  been 
offered.  The  flowers  she  brought  as  her  of- 
fering signified  a bleeding  heart.  Oh  ! there 
was  One  who  would  not  have  refused  such 
an  offering — 

“ A broken  heart,  my  God,  my  King, 

Is  all  the  sacrifice  I bring. 

The  God  of  grace  will  ne’er  despise 
A broken  heart  for  sacrifice.” 

He  only  could  have  healed  her  broken  heart; 
but  she  knew  him  not. 


SEEKING  JESUS. 


19 


For  a long,  long  time  did  she  carry  flowers 
and  fruit  morning  and  evening,  and  once  a 
week  offer  a kid,  and  sprinkle  the  blood  on 
herself  and  on  the  altar:  but  she  found  that 
“ the  blood  of  goats  could  not  take  away  her 
sin  and  very  often  she  cried  out  in  her 
deep  distress,  ‘‘  Oh,  I shall  die,  and  what  shall 
I do  if  I die  without  obtaining  salvation  ?” 

At  last  she  became  ill.  It  was  distress  of 

* 

mind  which  made  her  ill.  Her  mistress,  with 
deep  sorrow,  watched  her  beloved  companion 
sinking  into  an  early  grave.  Poor  girl ! Do 
not  you  pity  her?  Do  you  not  hope  that  the 
Saviour  whom  she  needed,  but  whose  name 
she  had  never  heard,  took  pity  on  her  ? Well, 
listen,  and  you  shall  hear  all. 

One  day  as  she  sat  alone  in  her  room, 
thinking  and  longing  and  weeping,  as  her 
custom  was,  a beggar  came  to  the  door  and 
asked  alms.  Her  heart  was  so  full  that  I 
suppose  she  spoke  of  what  she  wanted  to  all 


20 


THE  HINDOO  GIRL 


whom  she  met,  in  hopes  that  some  might 
guide  her.  She  began  talking  to  the  beggar, 
and  used  a word  which  means  salvation. 
The  man  started,  and  said,  “ I think  I have 
heard  that  word  before.” — “ Where  ? oh  ! 
where  have  you  heard  it?”  she  eagerly  asked. 
“ Tell  me  where  I can  find  that  which  I want, 
and  for  which  I am  dying : I shall  soon  die, 
and  oh,  what  shall  I do  if  I die  without  ob- 
taining salvation?” — The  man  told  her  the 
name  of  a charitable  institution  where,  once 
a week,  two  thousand  poor  natives  were 
supplied  with  rice,  and  before  the  rice  was 
given  out,  some  Christian  teacher  used  to 
speak  to  them.  “ I have  heard  it  there,”  he 
said,  “ and  they  tell  of  one  Jesus  Christ  who 
can  give  salvation.” 

My  dear  readers  do  you  know  the  verse — 

“ Jesus  the  name  which  calms  our  fears, 

Which  bids  our  sorrows  cease ; 

’Tis  music  in  the  sinner’s  ears, 

’Tis  life,  and  health,  and  peace.” 


SEEKING  JESUS. 


21 


This  poor  Hindoo  girl  felt  it  to  be  so,  and 
she  cried,  “ Oh ! where  is  he  ? take  me  to 
him.” — The  man  cared  nothing  about  this 
salvation  himself.  He  thought  she  was  mad, 
and  he  was  going  away ; but  she  would  not 
suffer  him  to  go  till  he  had  given  an  answer; 
she  dreaded  lest  she  should  miss  that  prize 
which  now  seemed  almost  within  her  reach. 
“Well,”  he  said,  “I  can  tell  you  of  a man 
who  will  lead  you  to  Jesus,”  and  he  directed 
her  to  that  part  of  the  town  where  Narraput 
Christian  lived. 

Who  was  Narraput  Christian  ? He  was 
once  a rich  and  proud  Brahmin,  but  he  had 
given  up  all  his  riches  and  honours  to  become 
an  humble  disciple  of  Jesus,  and  he  was  now 
an  assistant  missionary  and  preacher  to  his 
countrymen.  This  was  the  man  of  whorn 
the  beggar  spoke. 

The  Hindoo  girl  gave  the  beggar  a trifle, 
and  that  very  evening  she  set  out  in  search 
of  Narraput  Christian,  the  man  who  would 


22 


THE  HINDOO  GIRL 


lead  her  to  Jesus.  She  went  from  house  to 
house,  and  inquired  of  every  one  she  met, 
“ where  Narraput  Christian,  the  man  who 
would  lead  her  to  Jesus,  lived  ?”  but  no  one 
would  tell  her.  They  all  knew,  but  they 
were  worshippers  of  idols,  and  they  did  not 
choose  to  tell  her.  It  grew  late  and  dark,  and 
she  began  to  be  afraid  of  being  seen  out  at 
that  hour.  Her  heart  was  nearly  broken,  for 
she  thought  she  must  return  as  she  came,  and 
die  without  obtaining  salvation.  She  was  just 
turning  to  go  home,  when  she  saw  a man 
walking  along  the  road : she  thought  she 
would  try  once  more,  so  she  asked  him  the 
same  question,  where  Narraput  Christian 
lived,  “ the  man  who  would  lead  her  to  Je- 
sus ?”  To  her  great  joy  he  pointed  her  to  the 
house,  and  when  she  reached  it,  she  met  Nar- 
raput himself  coming  out  at  the  door.  She 
fell  at  his  feet  in  tears,  and  wringing  her  hands 
in  anguish,  she  asked,  “ Are  you  Narraput 
Christian,  the  man  who  can  lead  me  to  Je- 


SEEKING  JESUS. 


23 


sus  } Oh  ! take  me  to  him  ; I shall  die,  and 
what  shall  I do,  if  I die  without  obtaining 
salvation  ?” — Narraput  did  not  receive  her  as 
the  Hindoo  priest  had  done;  he  raised  her 
kindly  from  the  ground,  and  led  her  into  the 
house,  where  his  family ^ere  met  at  their 
evening  meal.  “My  dear  young  friend,”  he 
said,  “sit  down  and  tell  me  all.” — She  told 
him  her  history,  and  as  soon  as  she  had  done, 
she  rose  and  said,  “ Now,  sir,  take  me  to  Je- 
sus. You  know  where  he  is.  Oh  ! take  me 
to  him.” — Ah ! if  Jesus  had  been  on  earth, 
how  willingly  would  he  have  received  the 
poor  wanderer ! She  thought  he  was  on  earth, 
and  that  she  might  go  to  him  at  once ; but 
Narraput  knew  that  though  he  was  not  here, 
he  Avas  just  as  able  to  pity  and  welcome  her 
from  his  mercy-throne  in  heaven  ; so  he  only 
said,  “ Let  us  pray.”  All  knelt  down,  and 
as  he  prayed,  the  poor  Hindoo  girl  felt  that 
she  had  found  that  which  she  had  so  long 
wanted. 


24  THE  HINDOO  GIRL  SEEKING  JESUS. 

The  next  day,  Narraput  took  her  to  a mis- 
sion-house, and  placed  her  under  the  care  of 
the  missionaries,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gogerly.  In 
six  months  she  was  baptized  by  the  name  of 
Mary,  after  her  who  washed  the  feet  of  Jesus 
with  her  tears.  Hpr  mind  was  at  peace,  her 
health  returned,  and  she  still  lives,  adorning, 
by  her  example  and  conversation,  the  gosp'el 
of  God  our  Saviour. 

Are  you  not  very  glad  that  poor  Mary  did 
not  die  without  obtaining  salvation  ? This 
was  ill  consequence  of  missionaries  having 
been  sent  to  India.  How  many  poor  heathen 
may  there  not  be  almost  in  the  same  case  as 
this  poor  girl,  “ seeking  after  God,  if  haply 
they  might  find  him.”  Would  that  we  could 
send  them  all  the  knowledge  of  a Saviour  too ! 

Dear  children,  are  you,  like  Mary,  seeking 
Jesus  ? If  not,  think  what  must  become  of 
you,  if  you  die  without  obtaining  salvation. 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


George  James  Gordon  was  a very  little 
boy,  only  two  years  and  eight  months  old. 

He  was  not  one  of  the  heathen’s  children, 
and  yet  he  was  born  in  a heathen  land.  His 
skin  was  white  and  fair,  but  the  little  boys 
and  girls  who  lived  around  him  were  dark, 
and  spoke  another  language,  and  dwelt  be- 
neath the  burning  sun  of  India.  How  came 
this  little  English  boy  there  ? His  father  and 
mother  had  left  their  English  home  and  friends 
to  tell  the  heathen  children  of  Jesus  and  his 
love,  and  this  little  boy  drew  his  first  breath 
in  the  land  of  strangers. 

The  name  of  the  town  near  which  his  pa- 
rents lived,  was  Vizagapatam  in  the  East 
Indies.  The  hot  sun  of  India  soon  made  his 
parents  ill.  They  were  obliged  to  go  back 

(25) 


26 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


to  England  for  a time  to  get  well  again,  and 
they  took  George  with  them. 

Little  George  had  a round  face,  and  a fair 
skin;  a high  forehead,  and  soft  light  hair;  and 
full  thoughtful  eyes,  wliich  almost  seemed  to 
speak. 

When  little  George  was  quite  a baby,  every 
body  loved  him.  His  friends  in  India  loved 
him,  and  the  people  on  board  the  ship  which 
brought  him  to  England  loved  him.  Perhaps 
it  was  for  the  same  reason  as  a dear  little  girl 
about  whom  I have  read.  She  was  asked 
how  it  was  that  every  body  loved  her,  and 
she  said,  “I  cannot  tell,  unless  it  is  that  I 
love  every  body.”  Whether  little  George 
loved  every  body,  I cannot  say,  but  he  did 
love  some  people  very  much  indeed.  One 
was  his  mother.  Before  he  could  speak,  he 
would  scarcely  suffer  her  to  leave  him,  and 
if  she  was  obliged  to  go,  he  would  shed  bitter 
tears.  As  soon  as  he  could  speak,  he  would 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


27 


come  and  ask  to  be  taken  on  her  knee,  and 
put  his  arms  round  her  neck,  and  say,  “ My 
dear  mamma,  I love  you  so  much  and  he 
showed  that  he  did  love  her  by  trying  to 
make  her  happy. 

There  was  somebody  else  whom  he  loved 
very  much.  This  was  a dear  little  sister  who 
was  two  years  younger  than  himself.  He 
was  not  a selfish  little  boy,  and  he  showed 
his  love  by  being  always  ready  to  give  up 
his  favourite  place  on  his  mother’s  knee  to 
the  little  darling,  as  he  used  to  call  her.  One 
evening  when  his  mamma  had  baby  on  her 
knee,  he  came  and  asked  to  be  taken  up  too. 
Hi-s  mamma  was  afraid  that  if  she  did  not 
take  him  up,  he  would  think  that  she  did  not 
love  him  so  well  as  baby,  so  she  tried  to  nurse 
them  both.  Very  soon  baby  began  to  cry. 
His  mamma  said,  “ What  shall  I do  ? baby 
will  not  be  quiet.”  “ Then  put  me  down, 
and  nurse  little  baby,”  he  said. 


28 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


George’s  parents  thought  that  if  he  lived 
to  grow  up,  he  would  be  a clever  man.  They 
were  glad  of  this,  because  they  hoped  that  he 
would  be  able  to  do  a great  deal  of  good. 
He  seemed  to  understand  the  meaning  of 
words  very  well,  for  such  a very  little  child. 
One  day  he  was  eating  a bun,  and  he  asked 
his  mamma  to  have  some.  She  said  to  him. 
“ I suppose,  dear,  you  love  buns  very  much.” 
“ No,  mamma,”  he  said,  “ I cannot  love  buns: 
I can  only  like  them.” 

George  remembered  what  he  heard.  A 
friend  had  giv'en  him  a set  of  Scripture  prints. 
There  was  a picture  about  the  brazen  serpent 
among  them.  One  evening  he  was  standing 
by  the  fire  with  a small  stick  in  his  hand, 
and  he  looked  as  if  he  was  thinking  very 
much.  At  last  he  said,  “ Mamma,  Moses  did 
once  hold  a rod  in  his  hand.”  “ And  what 
did  he  do  with  it  ?”  his  mamma  asked.  ‘‘He 
did  point  up  to  one  snake,  and  told  the  peo- 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


29 


pie,  if  they  would  look  up,  they  should  be 
made  all  better,”  he  said.  “Why  were  they 
ill  ?”  his  mamma  asked  again.  “ Because 
they  grumbled  about  their  food.”  Another 
day  while  he  was  playing  about^the  room, 
he  repeated  the  word  Madagascar  very  many 
times.  “What  is  Madagascar?  said  his 
mamma.  “ Why  one  place  called  Madagas- 
car, to  be  sure,  mamma,”  he  said.  “ And 
what  do  you  know  about  it?”  his  mamma 
asked.  “ Why,”  said  he,  “ one  wicked  wo- 
man lives  there,  who  says-  naughty  words 
and  kills  the  people.”*  His  mamma  had  not 
told  him  that  there  was  such  a place.  Per- 
haps he  had  heard  her  and  his  papa  talking 
about  it  when  they  did  not  think  that  he  was 
listening. 

But  there  was  one  thing  of  which  he  liked 

* See  a book  published  by  the  Board  of  Publication, 
called  “ Madagascar  Martyrs.” 

3* 


30 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


to  hear  better  than  any  thing  besides.  When 
he  was  tired  of  play  he  would  come  to  his 
mamma,  and  ask  to  be  taken  up  on  her 
knee,  and  say,  “ Now,  mamma,  talk  to  me.” 
“ What  shall  I talk  about  ?”  she  would  ask. 
“About  Jesus,”  he  would  always  answer. 
Then  he  would  put  his  arms  round  his  dear 
mamma’s  neck  and  say,  “ jNIy  dear  mamma, 
I love  you  so  much,”  and  listen  so  very 
attentively  while  she  told  him  of  the  love 
of  Jesus,  or  repeated  some  little  hymns  to 
him.  He  would  at  any  time  leave  his  play, 
if  his  mamma  asked  if  she  should  read  or 
talk  to  him.  He  learned  to  repeat  hymns 
very  quickly.  He  learned  to  sing  them  too, 
and  he  could  sing  almost  a dozen  tunes.  He 
liked  those  hymns  best  which  spoke  of  the 
love  of  Jesus.  He  used  to  repeat  with  such 
delight  a verse  of  a hymn  written  by  the 
friend  who  had  given  him  the  pictures — 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


31 


“ In  fhat  beautifal  place  he  is  gone  to  prepare, 

For  all  who  are  cleansed  and  forgiven, 

And  many  dear  children  are  gathering  there. 

For  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  Heaven.” 

After  he  was  two  years  old,  he  wished  more 
and  more  to  know  all  about  every  thing  that 
was  useful  and  good.  His  temper  too  be- 
came more  sweet  and  gentle.  How  much 
his  dear  niamma  loved  him,  I cannot  tell 
you.  But  the  time  came  when  she  was  no 
more  to  feel  his  dear  little  arms  round  her 
neck,  or  hear  his  sweet  voice  asking  her 
to  tell  him  about  Jesus.  Can  you  guess 
what  I mean  ? Listen,  and  you  will  soon 
understand. 

In  the  month  of  January,  1842,  little 
George’s  papa  and  sister  were  taken  very 
ill.  It  was  with  a dangerous  illness  called 
the  scarlet  fever.  His  mamma  nursed  them 
night  and  day,  and  was  very  sorrowful  and 
anxious.  George  moved  about  so  quietly, 


32 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


and  was  so  careful  not  to  give  her  any 
trouble,  that  she  loved  him  better  than  ever. 
His  Bible  was  now  his  favourite  book.  He 
used  to  look  at  it  regularly  after  tea  till 
bed-time.  It  had  many  pictures  in  it.  His 
eyes  would  sparkle  with  pleasure  while  the 
pictures  were  explained  to  him,  and  he  was 
never  satisfied  till  he  had  found  out  which 
represented  Jesus.  His  mamma  thought 
afterwards  that  the  Holy  Spirit  was  then 
making  him  ready  for  a better  home  above. 

After  George’s  sister  had  been  ill  eight 
days,  he  was  taken  ill  just  in  the  same  way. 
It  was  scarlet  fever,  but  it  came  so  very 
gently,  that  his  parents  hoped  he  would 
soon  be  well  again.  On  the  day  when  he 
was  first  taken  ill,  he  was  lying  down,  and 
his  mamma  was  reading  to  him  and  his  sis- 
ter out  of  a very  nice  book  called  “The  Peep 
of  Day.”  As  she  was  going  on,  he  inter- 
rupted her  by  asking  in  his  own  sweet  Avay, 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


33 


“ Mamma,  shall  I be  one  of  Jesus  Christ’s 
little  lambs?”  He  saw  that  his  sister  was 
very  ill.  He  was  very  sorry  fo-r  her,  and  he 
said,  “ Slie  is  my  dear  sister  : I will  give  her 
some  of  my  things.”  Almost  the  last  words 
he  said  were,  Am  I your  pet,  mamma  ?” 
When  she  told  him  that  he  was  indeed  her 
dear  boy,  he  seemed  as  if  he  did  not  wish 
for  any  thing  more.  On  the  third  day  of  his 
illness,  about  one  o’clock,  he  became  very 
much  worse.  He  lay  for  about  five  hours 
as  if  he  did  not  see  or  hear  any  thing,  and 
then  he  gently  breathed  his  last  breath.  He 
was  taken  from  his  mother’s  arms  to  the 
arms  of  that  dear  Saviour  whom  he  liked 
so  much  to  hear  about,  and  of  whom  it  is 
said,  “ He  shall  gather  the  lambs  in  his  arms, 
and  carry  them  in  his  bosom.” 

Little  George  was  the  son  of  a missionary:' 
he  was  born  in  a heathen  land,  and  if  he  had 
lived  to  grow  up,  very  likely  he  would  have 


34 


LITTLE  GEORGE. 


been  a missionary  too.  Little  George  is 
gone  to  serve  God  in  Heaven,  instead  of 
serving  him  on  earth.  There,  it  is  said, 
“ his  servants  shall  serve  him.”  My  Mear 
little  reader,  I hope  that  you  will  grow  up 
to  serve  him  here,  but  if  not,  are  you  ready 
to  go  at  his  call,  as  little  George  did  ? Are 
you  “ one  of  Jesus  Christ’s  little  lambs?” 


HYMN. 


35 


IDOLATRY. 

We  read  that  now  beyond  the  seas, 

In  very  distant  lands, 

The  people  worship  idols  still. 

The  work  of  human  hands. 

The  children  there  were  never  told,  , 
About  the  mighty  God, 

Who  made  mankind  and  all  the  earth,  - 
And  spread  the  skies  abroad. 

They  never  heard  of  Jesus  Christ 
And  all  his  dying  love : 

They  fear  not  hell  below,  nor  care 
For  joys  of  heaven  above. 

0 what  a wretched  state  is  theirs. 

How  sad  no  tongue  can  say ! 

But  are  you  wiser,  let  me  ask. 

Or  better  off  than  they  1 

W'hat  is  the  use  of  all  you  know 
Of  God’s  most  holy  word  ; 

Unless  your  heart  is  changed  and  brought 
To  know  and  love  the  Lord  1 

If  you  delight  in  earthly  things 
Instead  of  God  alone. 

You  worship  idols  just  as  they, 

Who  bow  to  wood  and  stone 


36 


HYMN. 


CHILDREN’S  MISSIONARY  HYMN. 

Christ  was  crucified  for  you : 

Was  He  not  for  heathens  too  1 
Has  he  not  in  lands  afar, 

Lambs  as  dear  as  any  are  1 
Oh  to  them  his  love  be  told — 

Lead  them  to  the  Saviour’s  fold. 

Christ  was  crucified  for  you ; 

What  for  him  can  children  do  1 
Though  they  grateful  feel,  and  seek 
How  to  serve  him,  they  are  weak: 
Few  their  talents,  and  but  small. 
Though  they  give  to  Jesus  all. 

Yet,  if  but  the  heart  be  right, 

’Tis  accepted  in  his  sight ; 

And  the  efforts  of  the  great. 

And  the  gifts  of  dearest  weight, 
Jesus  will  not  prize  above 
Tokens  of  an  infant’s  love. 


THE  END. 


1 


I 


